acknowledge him. Marc even waved hello but got no response. Ryan started to take a step inside with the same angry expression he’d had on the sidewalk in New York, but I put my hand on his stomach to stop him.
“What do you want?”
“I came to see you. I thought we could talk.”
I looked back at Marc, who was watching the scene with a big grin on his face. I wanted to stay and figure out what was so funny to him, but I knew it was better to get Ryan out of there. “Let’s go for a walk,” I said.
“I’ll start knocking down the wall,” Marc called after me.
“Tomorrow,” I shouted back. “Tonight is the club and I don’t want any plaster or nails falling on anyone’s head. And don’t get any dust on that pile of quilts by the cash register. Nancy will kill me if the quilts get dirty.”
“Whatever you want,” Marc said. The grin even wider. Ryan moved toward him, but I pushed him out the door.
“What are you doing?” I demanded.
“What am I doing? What is it with you and that guy?”
“That guy? The guy who is renovating my grandmother’s shop?” Ryan wasn’t even the jealous type, or hadn’t been until he dumped me and Marc came along. Of course, until he broke off the engagement I had been one of those in-love saps who didn’t notice any other men on the planet. But if I was noticing one now, it wasn’t really any of Ryan’s business. “I don’t want to have this conversation standing on the street,” I said.
“So let’s walk,” he said as he took my hand. Since I had no choice, I followed as he led me down the street. We turned toward the river, walking two blocks to the edge of town. The river was looking gray and still, reflecting an unusually dark midmorning sky. It was about to storm. “How long have you known that guy?”
“Oh my God, Ryan. I met him the day after you broke up with me. I told you already. He’s my grandmother’s handyman.”
“I don’t like him. I don’t think you should.”
I thought for a second, but only for a second. “Well, I do like him. He’s nice. He’s funny. He’s really into old buildings and making furniture.” Ryan rolled his eyes. “Okay, then. He hasn’t hurt me, and I like that in a man.”
“Sleep with him, then,” Ryan spat.
“Maybe I will,” I shouted. At that moment I would have slept with Marc just for the revenge.
Ryan walked away from me, back in the direction we came from. The sky opened up and rain started falling on my head, but I couldn’t move. What was I doing? I loved Ryan. I wanted to marry him, didn’t I? Maybe he’d had a change of heart and I didn’t give him the chance to tell me. Marc was a nice distraction, but was a flirtation with him really worth putting a future with Ryan in jeopardy?
I headed up the street toward him. I would catch up and we would talk. I would listen, without being angry or hurt or defensive, and whatever he told me I could deal with. I hoped.
CHAPTER 19
I hurried back toward Ryan, but I couldn’t find him. Hoping he was looking for me, with the same need to clear the air, I went back toward the shop. And I was right. When I turned the corner I saw Ryan outside the shop. But I had gotten his intention all wrong. He was standing over Marc, who was flat on his back on the sidewalk.
“Stay away from her,” Ryan shouted and stormed off.
I ran over to Marc.
“Are you okay?” I helped him to his feet.
“Fine. Nice guy, your fiancé.”
“Ex-fiancé,” I said as I watched Ryan get in his car a few blocks down and drive away. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t apologize, for starters,” Marc said as he gingerly touched his jaw and winced.
“Why would he hit you? Did he say?”
“No. But he didn’t have to,” he laughed. “He sure takes it badly when somebody gets in his way.”
I was as much embarrassed by Ryan’s behavior as I was touched by Marc’s reaction. A few seconds ago I was running after Ryan, and now I was
“What do you want?”
“I came to see you. I thought we could talk.”
I looked back at Marc, who was watching the scene with a big grin on his face. I wanted to stay and figure out what was so funny to him, but I knew it was better to get Ryan out of there. “Let’s go for a walk,” I said.
“I’ll start knocking down the wall,” Marc called after me.
“Tomorrow,” I shouted back. “Tonight is the club and I don’t want any plaster or nails falling on anyone’s head. And don’t get any dust on that pile of quilts by the cash register. Nancy will kill me if the quilts get dirty.”
“Whatever you want,” Marc said. The grin even wider. Ryan moved toward him, but I pushed him out the door.
“What are you doing?” I demanded.
“What am I doing? What is it with you and that guy?”
“That guy? The guy who is renovating my grandmother’s shop?” Ryan wasn’t even the jealous type, or hadn’t been until he dumped me and Marc came along. Of course, until he broke off the engagement I had been one of those in-love saps who didn’t notice any other men on the planet. But if I was noticing one now, it wasn’t really any of Ryan’s business. “I don’t want to have this conversation standing on the street,” I said.
“So let’s walk,” he said as he took my hand. Since I had no choice, I followed as he led me down the street. We turned toward the river, walking two blocks to the edge of town. The river was looking gray and still, reflecting an unusually dark midmorning sky. It was about to storm. “How long have you known that guy?”
“Oh my God, Ryan. I met him the day after you broke up with me. I told you already. He’s my grandmother’s handyman.”
“I don’t like him. I don’t think you should.”
I thought for a second, but only for a second. “Well, I do like him. He’s nice. He’s funny. He’s really into old buildings and making furniture.” Ryan rolled his eyes. “Okay, then. He hasn’t hurt me, and I like that in a man.”
“Sleep with him, then,” Ryan spat.
“Maybe I will,” I shouted. At that moment I would have slept with Marc just for the revenge.
Ryan walked away from me, back in the direction we came from. The sky opened up and rain started falling on my head, but I couldn’t move. What was I doing? I loved Ryan. I wanted to marry him, didn’t I? Maybe he’d had a change of heart and I didn’t give him the chance to tell me. Marc was a nice distraction, but was a flirtation with him really worth putting a future with Ryan in jeopardy?
I headed up the street toward him. I would catch up and we would talk. I would listen, without being angry or hurt or defensive, and whatever he told me I could deal with. I hoped.
CHAPTER 19
I hurried back toward Ryan, but I couldn’t find him. Hoping he was looking for me, with the same need to clear the air, I went back toward the shop. And I was right. When I turned the corner I saw Ryan outside the shop. But I had gotten his intention all wrong. He was standing over Marc, who was flat on his back on the sidewalk.
“Stay away from her,” Ryan shouted and stormed off.
I ran over to Marc.
“Are you okay?” I helped him to his feet.
“Fine. Nice guy, your fiancé.”
“Ex-fiancé,” I said as I watched Ryan get in his car a few blocks down and drive away. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t apologize, for starters,” Marc said as he gingerly touched his jaw and winced.
“Why would he hit you? Did he say?”
“No. But he didn’t have to,” he laughed. “He sure takes it badly when somebody gets in his way.”
I was as much embarrassed by Ryan’s behavior as I was touched by Marc’s reaction. A few seconds ago I was running after Ryan, and now I was
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